SACP warns against early ANC elective conference
The move could deepen divisions in the tripartite alliance, it says
THE ANC should think long and hard about convening an early conference to elect its new leadership as it could entrench disunity within the tripartite alliance and result in the winners inheriting a “shell organisation”.
Rather, the conference should be a consultative one aimed at unifying the alliance and reaching an agreement, “if possible, on the transition to a new leadership”.
The stern warning and suggestion came from the SACP leadership yesterday following its central committee meeting in Joburg at the weekend.
It noted the ANC Youth League’s call for an early elective conference and dismissed it as “entirely factional”.
ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe has reportedly said the early conference call was “not a bad idea” and was being discussed.
The SACP said they wanted the consultative conference to be addressed by “senior and respected veterans of our movement”, as they wanted to listen to those whose criticism was motivated by a “genuine concern about the future of our movement and our country”, and not by their personal hatred of the ANC.
The ANCYL made the call for an early elective conference following the ANC’s poor showing in the August 3 municipal elections, where its support dropped from the 62 percent it received in the 2011 municipal elections to 54 percent, its lowest since the dawn of democracy 22 years ago. This resulted in the ANC losing control of key metros – the capital Tshwane, Joburg and Nelson Mandela Bay – to the opposition.
SACP leader Blade Nzimande warned that unless corrective actions were implemented, “the decline will continue and likely accelerate”, and that growing numbers of South Africans were tired of being taken for granted.
“They believe that ANC formal structures are increasingly inward-looking, preoccupied with factional battles and money politics. They believe that the conduct of ANC politicians is often arrogant and aloof,” he said.
The ANC national executive committee (NEC), however, said it was taking collective responsibility for the electoral disaster amid growing calls for President Jacob Zuma to step down.
Nzimande, who is also Higher Education Minister, said the central committee was disappointed about the statement issued by the ANC following its recent NEC meeting as it touched on the same themes that had paralysed the ANC for years, including gatekeeping, factionalism, corruption and growing distance from the masses, among others.
The SACP general secretary said people were hoping “for a clear sign of willingness to act decisively against these morbid symptoms”, saying corrupt individuals appeared to enjoy protection from people in power.
“An effective consultative conference should also be a unifying space in which we can all reflect upon and take individual and collective responsibility for mistakes we have made. We do not exclude the SACP from this self-reflective and responsibility-taking imperative,” said Nzimande.
It should be a unifying space to reflect